Direct-Manufactured Duct Interconnects

Abstract

A method for forming a duct interconnect generally includes providing a digital model of a first duct structure and a second duct structure, the first duct structure including a first duct section having a passage for conveying a substance and an interconnect component moveably and captively coupled to the duct section. The second duct structure includes a second duct structure and a second interconnect component. The process includes forming, via a direct manufacturing procedure (e.g., stereolithography), a physical model of the first duct and second structures in accordance with the digital models, wherein the interconnect component has a locked and unlocked state, and wherein the unlocked state corresponds to a predetermined compressive force between the first duct structure and a second duct structure.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention generally relates to duct systems and, more particularly, to duct system interconnects incorporating integral captive components.BACKGROUND[0002]Due to tight space requirements in aircraft and other vehicles, a substantial amount of time and energy is required to maintain parts buried under other subsystem and structures. Duct sections and the like are traditionally secured using worm clamps, Wiggins connectors, V-Band clamps and other such connection schemes. Actuation of these components requires a significant amount of space (i.e., a “clear volume” of surrounding space perpendicular to the duct surface) for a wrench, ratchet, or other specialized tool.[0003]To address this issue, some duct interconnect schemes incorporate one or more captured components—i.e., locking components whose movement is limited or restrained by the duct itself. Such captured components are extremely expensive to manufacture in short production runs, and the high...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Due to tight space requirements in aircraft and other vehicles, a substantial amount of time and energy is required to maintain parts buried under other subsystem and structures.

Actuation of these components requires a significant amount of space (i.e., a “clear volume” of surrounding space perpendicular to the duct surface) for a wrench, ratchet, or other specialized tool.

Such captured components are extremely expensive to manufacture in short production runs, and the high degree of detail required for a good lock is not obtainable through traditional lay-up or rotational molding processes.

Similarly, injection molding, while sufficient for producing highly-detailed termination structures, is not capable of producing in-situ captured components.

While easy to actuate, such systems are undesirable in that the locking force between the interconnected duct segments is highly variable, and greatly depends upon the amount of torque applied during assembly.

This variability is unsatisfactory in certain contexts, including military and aircraft applications.

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